Serse - Handel (aka Xerxes) (DVD)

...the rival loves of King Serse and his brother, Arsamene, for the beautiful Romilda. On the distaff side, there’s the competing love of Romilda and her sister, Atalanta, for Serse’s brother, Arsamene. Of this confused quartet, only Romilda and Arsamene actually love one another.

The titular Serse refers to the real-life Persian ruler, Xerxes I (Serse I), described by the Greek historian Herodotus in his Histories, Book VII. The libretto ...
...gently mocking song (‘... un Serse mirate, che d’un ruvido tronco acceso sta;’ – ‘ ... behold Xerxes, all afire with passion for a coarse tree trunk’).

In fact, Romilda and Arsamene have previously agreed to meet at the summerhouse, but the intrusion of Serse ruins their plans. Serse blithely orders Arsamene to arrange the marriage, unaware of Arsamene’s romantic liaison with Romilda. (Serse has already forgotten his previous betrothal ... more

The droll comedy-drama that is George Frideric Händel’s ‘Serse’ (1738) unfurls a tangled romantic daisy chain involving the rival loves of King Serse and his brother, Arsamene, for the beautiful Romilda. On the distaff side, there’s the competing love of Romilda and her sister, Atalanta, for Serse’s brother, Arsamene. Of this confused quartet, only Romilda and Arsamene actually love one another.

The titular Serse refers to the real-life Persian ruler, Xerxes I (Serse I), described by the Greek historian Herodotus in his Histories, Book VII. The libretto to ‘Serse’ (likely written probably by Händel himself and perhaps an unknown collaborator, and drawn from two previous libretti, respectively by Nicolò Minato and Silvio Stampiglia) combines both the comic and the dramatic. This new mixing of styles broke off from tradition, which required either pure buffa or purely seria elements in one work. The change didn’t seem to please Händel’s English audiences, as ‘Serse’ saw no more than five performances in the composer’s lifetime. The work remained forgotten for almost two centuries until it was resurrected and staged once more in the 1920s!

‘Serse’ offers much pleasing music that is sung to an amusing storyline. This notable production dates from June 2000 and was staged at the Dresden Semperoper as part of the Dresden Music Festival. it offers the special treat of having three notable mezzo-sopranos in the cast, together with two fine sopranos, who all outshine the two male singers cast in lesser roles.

CAST

Character, description --- Performer (voice)

Serse, King of Persia --- Paula Rasmussen (mezzo-soprano)
Arsamene, Serse’s brother, in love with Romilda --- Ann Hallenberg (mezzo-soprano)
Amastre, heiress of Kingdom of Tagor and betrothed to Serse, disguised as a man --- Patricia Bardon (mezzo-soprano)
Ariodate, a prince, Serse’s general --- Marcello Lippi (baritone)
Romilda, his daughter, in love with Arsamene --- Isabel Bayrakdarian (soprano)
Atalanta, her sister, secretly in love with Arsamene --- Sandrine Piau (soprano)
Elviro, a funny fellow, servant to Arsamene --- Matteo Peirone (bass)

Ludwigshafener Theaterchor
Les Talens Lyriques (on period instruments)
Music Director: Christophe Rousset
Stage Director: Michael Hampe
TV Director: Philip Behrens

STORY AND PERFORMERS

SERSE

Serse’s an eccentric - not quite off the deep end, but strange enough to draw interest. He’s a spoiled, vain, peevish, and haughty child with a keen sense of entitlement. The problem lies in his possession of absolute power over his subjects, who include his own hapless brother, Arsamene, and Romilda. Entranced by Romilda’s singing at court, he virtually decrees she become his future wife, despite her gently mocking song (‘... un Serse mirate, che d’un ruvido tronco acceso sta;’ – ‘ ... behold Xerxes, all afire with passion for a coarse tree trunk’).

In fact, Romilda and Arsamene have previously agreed to meet at the summerhouse, but the intrusion of Serse ruins their plans. Serse blithely orders Arsamene to arrange the marriage, unaware of Arsamene’s romantic liaison with Romilda. (Serse has already forgotten his previous betrothal to Amastre, Princess of Tagor, whom we will meet later.) Arsamene claims that Romilda’s unroyal pedigree makes her unfit for the queenly post, but Serse is not to be denied. Impatient with Arsamene’s hesitation, he decides to tell Romilda his feelings himself, singing the delightfully jaunty ‘Io le diro che l’amo’ (‘I shall tell her of my love’).

However, Romilda’s continued, adamant refusal will cause Serse to mete out death sentences (he’s a tyrant, remember?) to Romilda as well as Arsamene later on. If you think about it, Serse already has a foremost objet d’amour – that plane tree encased in a glass-and-steel cage. Perhaps he’d like Romilda be his possession, too in another metaphorical, glass-and-steel cage.

Paula Rasmussen plays Serse with a bored, aloof air, and her residual feminine ways gives the character an added, interesting layer of gender ambiguity. Ms Rasmussen’s vocalisation remains splendid throughout. Listen as she launches ever so gently into that famous aria extolling the virtues of the plane tree’s shade, ‘Ombra mai fu’ (‘Never was nature’s own shade…’). From a sotto voce start, her voice gradually crescendoes (grows louder), its tight vibrato and metallic sheen gleaming in that well-loved air. Much later, after Romilda declares herself steadfast in her love for Arsamene despite the latter’s supposed rejection of her, Ms Rasmussen releases Serse’s rage in a venomous fury in ‘Se bramate d’amar chi vi sdegna / vuò sdegnarvi,’ (If you still love the man who rejects you / I too should reject you’), then softens her tone to gentleness on the line, ‘...but know not how’ (‘ma come non so.’). Her brilliant, crystalline sound and steely timbre hint at a high-voltage powerline beneath that cool and steady tone. Why Ms Rasmussen remains virtually absent from the world’s opera houses, recital halls and recording studios is a puzzlement to this listener.

ARSAMENE

Poor Arsamene, always getting the short end of the stick. When Serse learns of Arsamene’s love for Romilda, he banishes him from court, thinking that Romilda will now be free to love him back. Arsamene not only loses his love; he will also be tricked into thinking that Romilda now loves Serse and no longer cares for him, thanks to the shenanigans of Romilda’s sister, Atalanta.

The fine singing actress Ann Hallenberg plays the frustrated Arsamene with much believability and liveliness, even if we still feel Arsamene’s pain (in contrast with British countertenor Christopher Robson's dour and unpleasant Arsamene in the English National Opera's 1985 version available on DVD). Ms Hallenberg’s beautiful, silky mezzo boasts an admirable technical security and evokes a slightly darker shade, equalling Ms Rasmussen’s vocal in elegance. And thanks to clever makeup, both Ms Rasmussen and Ms Hallenberg easily pass for the brothers Serse and Arsamene, respectively.

AMASTRE

A foreign princess abandoned by Serse after their betrothal, Amastre comes to Serse’s palace disguised as one of the King’s soldiers in order to stalk... ahem…find out what her fiancé has been up to. Hearing Serse warbling passionately of a consuming love, she thinks it is she of whom he sings, but learns soon enough that it’s someone else – Romilda. Amastre promptly vows to seek vengeance upon Serse for being scorned thus, but it’s revenge with a twist – she will be avenged only if Serse returns her love, and all past hurts will then be forgiven. Patricia Bardon fleshes out the underwritten part of Amastre, playing her with a comic blend of aggression (as when she threatens her male companion with bodily harm – the fellow seems to allegorically embody her ‘hopes’ about love) and despair (she constantly tries to kill herself, but is foiled by Arsamene’s servant, Elviro).

ROMILDA

Romilda sings many sorrowful songs about her absent lover, while rejecting all romantic overtures by Serse. Playing the melodramatic role straight, soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian gives a fine account of Romilda’s lovelorn situation and does a wonderful job overall. Her clear, bright vocal evokes a bittersweetness in ‘Né men con l’ombre’ (‘Not even with a shade of unfaithfulness‘), which reasserts her unwavering fidelity to Arsamene.

When Atalanta, using the intercepted letter from Arsamene, deceives Serse into thinking that Arsamene no longer loves Romilda, it fits in perfectly with Serse’s own designs on Romilda, and he shows Romilda the letter, leaving Romilda devastated by her sister’s supposed deceit and her lover’s alleged betrayal. Ms Bayrakdarian becomes more forceful yet still vulnerable in the aria of heartbreak and confusion she sings then, ‘È gelosia quella tiranna que tanto affana l’anima mia’ (‘The tyrant that afflicts my soul is jealousy herself’), as she starts to feel the pangs of jealousy.

ATALANTA

Romilda’s sister, Atalanta, is farce to Romilda’s melodrama. It matters none in her unending pursuit of Arsamene that she isn’t even sure about her feelings for him, or that Arsamene himself doesn’t love her! Atalanta hijacks the letter from Arsamene to Romilda, borne to the palace by Arsamene’s servant, Elviro. Waving the letter about, she tells Serse that Arsamene only pretends to love Romilda, but it’s really her, Atalanta, whom Arsamene loves, encouraging Serse’s liaison with Romilda so Arsamene can then be hers.

Händelian soprano Sandrine Piau shows off her delightful comic gifts as the manipulative and coquettish Atalanta, using large, clownish gestures and expressions when singing her campy arias. In ‘Per rapir quell tesoro’ – Un cenno leggiadretto’ (‘To seize the treasure – A graceful little gesture’), which portrays her scheme to sabotage the Romilda-Arsamene romance, her big, bright and warm vocal is deployed flawlessly, with playful gusto and comic gags while donning her outfit in carefully choreographed stages. She flaunts her impeccable coloratura and a few stratospheric notes that, accompanied by rolling eyeballs, veer into the tongue-in-cheek realm of satire. Alas, one of Atalanta’s airs in the latter half of Act 2, ‘Voi mi dite che non l'ami’ (You tell me not to love him’), gets cut from this version, and we lose the more thoughtful side to this fun and ditzy character, as revealed in this poignant air.

ARIODATE

Romilda and Atalanta are the daughters of Serse’s general, Ariodate. Ariodate is pivotal in Act 3’s plot turn, when he misunderstands Serse’s words about ‘a man of Serse’s kin’ who is ‘destined to become Romilda’s husband’ (‘…sposo del nostro sangue, a piacer vostro distiniamo a Romilda’). Ariodate’s irrevocable actions will cease Serse’s hopes of ever marrying Romilda, and this frustrated desire will set the petulant King on a death-sentencing rampage meted out to his brother and to Romilda, not to mention his own precious plane tree! Baritone Marcello Lippi sings Ariodate with a slightly fuzzy edge, but he’s jolly good fun, and adds a touch of corny but endearing humour in his solo scene, ‘Arsamene, altri non è ‘ – ‘It has to be Arsamene!’.

ELVIRO

Elviro, Arsamene’s servant, also provides the opera’s funny bits. Serving as Arsamene’s messenger, he pretends to be a flower vendor whilst approaching the palace. Bass Matteo Peironi provokes welcome chuckles and belly laughs with his amusing Laurel & Hardy schtick with Atalanta, which includes making awful, slapsticky singing noises come out of his throat.

ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL

After a lovers’ quarrel, Arsamene and Romilda will be happily wed (due to Ariodate’s mistake), but then there’s still Serse’s coming wrath to deal with. Ultimately, Amastre will turn out to be the linchpin for righting everything in the end. When she reveals her true identity to Serse, the King has a (miraculously) rapid change of heart, and he turns humble and compassionate. In no time he’s offering apologies to all for his previous cruelties. He also decides to accept Amastre’s offer of forgiveness and love, in a most capricious development that strains credibility – but the story must end on a happy note, no matter how belief-defying. The scene concludes with a hopeful symbol of love, perhaps – a new, small, bonsai version of the plane tree that is brought in to replace the burnt one.

THE MUSIC, ABOVE ALL, IS WELL-SERVED BY CHRISTOPHE ROUSSET ET LES TALENS LYRIQUES

'Serse' boasts one of Händel's more inspired compositional creations, comprising a whole string of memorable arias with brief prefatory recitatives. Da capo arias still predominate, but the repeats are relatively fewer than in his other works. Händel was a really fine tunesmith who incorporated irresistible musical hooks in many pieces. They're tuneful and possess such enduring qualities with a deep lustre that doesn’t dull with the passing centuries (unlike many facile hit songs of today whose initial attractiveness fade with the changing seasons).

Despite a few cuts, there remains a wealth of lovely music here. It all gets both a spirited and a delicate treatment from French conductor Christophe Rousset leading the period-instrument ensemble, Les Talens Lyrique. The elegance, magnificence, poignancy and humour in Händel's music come through in the sterling performances rendered by this orchestra, who give the singers strong, solid support.

COLD SETS AND OCCASIONALLY SLOW STAGING

The entire production (designed by Carlo Tommasi) uses a monochromatic and cold scheme of black, white and silver, with materials ranging from metal to silk that grace everything in sight. The sun doesn’t seem to shine upon this greyish set, even in its outdoor settings. Between scene changes, the singers remain upstage before two dark green walls that meet in the centre to close off the main stage area behind them.

Although the black-and-white theme brings a touch of elegance, it comes at the expense of a human feel. Profuse thanks are due this excellent singing cast, who infuse the cold and heavy, industrial-looking, black-and-white, glass-and-steel staging with some warmth, liveliness and humour. (Even the strange version of the plane tree here stands stonily in silvery-grey, without the slightest tinge of a refreshing green, poor thing.)

No Persian griffin appears here (a facsimile made a dramatic entrance in the 1985 English National Opera version), but there's a hint of the Persian in the sets, which include a pair of miniature sculpted elephants that bear Serse onstage from the wings, ready to review his army. Serse's military dress shifts between black and white, with loads of silvery rope braids, cummerbunds and epaulets, reminiscent of late 19th century colonial officer garb. The Ludwigshafener Theaterchor appear as the army and the people of Serse, dressed variously in Near Eastern styles that include fez-like headgear and caftans in black and silver for Serse’s subjects. Similar costumes are done up in solid, steel grey for Serse’s royal guard.

Contrary to current trends, Michael Hampe's stage direction avoids the outrageous and provocative bits that have almost become hip and de riguer in many opera productions today (especially in Germany and Austria). Nothing will give offense here, unless a viewer feels unease at the gender-bending trouser roles of Serse and Arsamene (in which case he or she should leave operas alone altogether!). The production’s biggest weakness lies in its unchanging rhythm, with rare jolts in the pace of action to cut the occasionally plodding pace (as in the explosive depiction of an outraged Serse setting his beloved plane tree ablaze in Act 3).

ALL IN ALL...

In summary, then, I’d highly recommend this DVD to any Händelian and Baroque music lover, despite a few, trivial weaknesses, for all the reasons stated above. I’d still recommend this over the English National Opera’s version from 1985 despite its many merits – unless you really must have your libretto in English (without subtitles) and you really love Ann Murray as Serse (her wobbly vibrato even then doesn’t sit well with this listener), don’t mind the sad sack Chris Robson as Arsemene, and would really love to see a mock-up of Händel’s statue at the Vauxhall Gardens reproduced on the stage.

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Note to the Ciao police:
This article has been posted elsewhere by the author in modified form.

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SERSE
Dramma per musica in tre atti
George Frideric Händel
Libretto after Xerse by Nicolò Minato, revised by Silvio Stampiglia
HWV 40

A Dresdner Musikfestspiele Production
(Recorded at the Semperoper, Dresden, June 2000)

DVD FEATURES:

Special Features: None
Video: Standard 1.33:1 Color
Audio: ITALIAN: Dolby Digital 5.1 or PCM Stereo
Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Italian, German

Studio: Naxos
Production Year: 2000
Release Date: 01/08/2005

Length: 160 mins
Rating: NR
Number of Discs: 1

List Price: GBP24.99 (can be purchased at much less than list price everywhere, it seems!) 

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